Solar-Powered Plane, Solar Impulse 2, Attempts Global Flight!

If you watched 80s futuristic movies such as Blade Runner or Back to the Future, you might be slightly disappointed that we aren’t all the proud owners of flying cars and hover boards. However, incredible innovations in the field of renewable energy have allowed us to make our transportation systems significantly greener, which is exciting enough in its own right.

Forget Marty McFly – a pair of Swiss aviation scientists have come up with a solar-powered aeroplane which is intended to make the world’s first global solar-powered journey, beginning and finishing in Abu Dhabi. The flight left the UAE capital on March 9^th, 2015, and is expected to return to the city sometime in July or August, having traversed the entire circumference of the Earth.

The Aircraft

The Solar Impulse 2 project was founded by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, who will also pilot the flight. The super-light craft is constructed from carbon fibre, which is an astounding three times lighter than paper. As a result, it weighs a mere 2,300 kg, which is roughly the same as a family car. Despite this, the wingspan of the aircraft is 72m, which is actually wider than a Boeing 747.

The plane garners its energy from four electric motors, which are in turn powered by 17,000 individual solar panel cells across the wings and body. Each of these cells is 135 microns thick and together, they generate enough power to not only fly at a top speed of 140km/h during the day, but also to store power in the four corresponding lithium polymer batteries. This allows continuous flying at night-time, albeit at a reduced height and speed to conserve energy and reduce stress on the pilot.

The Flight

The pilot himself will be under considerable stress regardless, seeing as how he is expected to stay at the controls for five or six day periods without respite. The diminutive cockpit is a mere 3.8m³, which allows just enough room for him to perform minimal exercise and take 20-minute naps during the scheduled flight plan. The cockpit is neither heated nor pressurised, but it is highly insulated.

The round-the-world trip is split up into 12 legs, each of up to six days’ duration each. The flight plan is as follows:

Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Muscat (Oman) – Ahmedabad (India) – Varanasi (India) – Mandalay (Myanmar) – Chongqing (China) – Nanjing (China) – Hawaii (USA) – Phoenix (USA) – Central USA (exact location to be determined) – New York (USA) – Southern Europe or Northern Africa (exact location to be determined) – Abu Dhabi

So far, the Solar Impulse 2 has made it through almost half of its 12 legs, although none have been of significant duration as yet. Bad weather has delayed the aircraft several times, most recently in Chongqing, China. However, the team behind the project are still hopeful it was finish on time in Abu Dhabi; the first big test of its abilities will come when it leaves China for Hawaii, however.

The Technology

Such wondrous feats of renewable energy are certainly encouragement for those who have been championing greener sources of power for years. Back in 2010, a solar-electric-powered boat was developed by scientists at the University of Southampton as an entry into the annual Solar Splash Boating event in Arkansas.

Meanwhile, solar-powered cars have been touted as the next clean and efficient mode of transportation for a while now. However, if successful, the Solar Impulse 2 will have soared above expectations in the field and provided a real boon to the industry.

The future’s bright – the future’s solar!